History of Special Education

1421 Words6 Pages
History of Special Education My’Easha Henderson SPE-526 Educating Learners with Diverse Needs August 8, 2012 Abstract In this paper, we will learn about the history of special education and its role in today’s classroom. We will observe how special education has evolved through the years and how it plans to further grow. Also, it is important to take a look at the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the laws that have been established for the families and children with special needs. History of Special Education The history of special education has evolved over the years. Students have gone from being overlooked to now being apart of the classroom learning process. Special education was non-existent in the earlier generation. If you were considered to be a child with special needs then you were not allowed to attend school or you could attend but would not be counted. No one made any special concessions for children with a learning disability. They were mainly passed up because no one wanted to waste their time. This is why laws had to be created to give children with disabilities a chance to gain knowledge for themselves in hopes of an education and a brighter future. Special education is a set of guidelines teachers, parents, and students follow so that each child has a specific educational plan (Special Education News, 2012). The history of special education is a chronicle of the efforts of the parents and the advocacy groups in the courts and legislatures of the country. (Yell, 1998) The purpose of the law is to ensure students with learning disabilities the opportunity to get educated just as any other student in the United States. The President’s Panel on Mental Retardation was created by John F. Kennedy in (1961). It would be the start in getting others to acknowledge that there are children with learning disabilities and that
Open Document